Results 17,061-17,080 of 35,756 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: That is in the Central Criminal Court. Assigning extra judges has led to an increased number of sittings. The Minister of State has said two factors led to the overrun or shortfall - whichever way one wants to look at it - of €1.377 million. What proportion of it is a result of the increased activity in the courts, particularly the Central Criminal Court, and what proportion is a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Approximately €700 million to €800 million is a result of the financial trials, which are small and some of them collapsed. The rest is attributable to the changes in the Central Criminal Court. We have changed how we deal with Estimates over the past number of years. The output targets remain the same despite an increase in activity. Even though the reason for this overrun...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Is that figure for 2016?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Are those figures for 2017?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The target for the number of new court proceedings to be dealt with in the 2017 Revised Estimate is 3,000 to 3,500. The revised target or projection is 3,000 to 3,500. In both cases the figure would be less than the output for 2016 and less than the projection which the Minister of State has put on the record. How is that the case?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I understand that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The target for what year?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: We are not dealing with the 2018 figures.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I hear that but I would argue that it is a wee bit misleading. We hear about increases in the number of judges and the number of sittings and we think that there is increased activity, while in fact it is the case that more complex cases are incurring these increased costs, as opposed to a dramatic increase in the number of cases being heard, which is not what we have before us. I want to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Is there are a rationale for this?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The figures are included in our documentation but they are completely at odds with the figures which the Minister of State has just presented. The figures which were sent to members of the committee, which is supposed to approve these Estimates, say that the original number of court proceedings was between 3,000 and 3,500. As a result of the Revised Estimate they are now 3,000 to 3,500....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The other issue is in respect of staffing in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. Will the Minister of State inform the committee of the complement of staff it has at present? Have all approved positions been taken up? Are there any vacancies in the office at this point in time?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister of State. My final question is connected with the budgetary process in terms of the office's complement of staff and the pay subheading of the Estimate. Has there been any internal or external examination carried out in the office of the DPP in respect of the resources it needs, including both personnel and other supports, to meet the demands it faces in a timely...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Can that documentation be shared with the committee?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister of State.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fisheries Protection (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: 390. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has received correspondence from an organisation (details supplied) in relation to the designation of rivers as catch-and-release salmon fisheries for 2018; if a response has yet been issued; the reason for the reclassification of these fisheries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50729/17]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licence Renewals (29 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: 417. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration has been given by his Department to establish a mechanism by which emigrants may renew their driving licences whilst remaining resident abroad in view of the ongoing plight of the undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50817/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (28 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I have a question on the governance structure. The witness identified the different responsibilities that the executive boards of these ESAs would take on. Will he explain that in comparison with the governance structure at this time? The witness mentioned he is concerned about the breadth of powers conferred on these bodies. Is he referring to all the powers or is it a certain amount of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (28 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: What would the Commission say in response to that? What is the counter-argument?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (28 Nov 2017)

Pearse Doherty: We can look at the Department of Finance background paper. I am no supporter of the centralisation of these supervisory powers but I must ask these questions. When we cut through this, is the fact not that we would lose competitiveness? The divergence currently benefits certain funds in certain member states and Ireland is one of them. Is that not the real issue behind this? If this is...